Chapter 1276: A New Chapter
Xia Xinger had not deceived Yang Haoran; the Saint Mother Sect truly had withdrawn from Gu Mo City. However, it wasn't just the Saint Mother Sect members who departed from Gu Mo City, but also many of their devoted followers.
This meant that the Saint Mother Sect's withdrawal from Gu Mo City left Yang Haoran with only a considerable plot of land and the immovable resources within it. The most valuable asset, their followers, had all been taken away by the Saint Mother Sect.
Although Yang Haoran had not promised Xia Xinger he wouldn't obstruct the Saint Mother Sect's withdrawal, he genuinely didn't interfere or play any tricks behind the scenes. Instead, he allowed the Saint Mother Sect to leave safely.
While Yang Haoran didn't particularly favor the Saint Mother Sect or Xia Xinger, he didn't harbor any deep hatred for them. Furthermore, Xia Xinger had, in her own way, helped him. Therefore, he didn't take advantage of their departure to extract more benefits from them.
Aside from that, given Yang Haoran's current status and position, the meager gains from the Saint Mother Sect in Gu Mo City simply weren't worth him going against his conscience to do anything excessive.
The Saint Mother Sect's withdrawal brought the greatest joy to Yao Guozhi, the newly appointed Emissary of Death for Gu Mo City. This was because the Gu Mo City Saint Mother Sect had been the only rival to their Gu Mo City Underworld Office. Apart from the Saint Mother Sect, the Underworld Office was the only remaining power in Gu Mo City. Now that the Saint Mother Sect had left, the only force left in Gu Mo City was the Underworld Office.
To put it simply, the Saint Mother Sect's departure meant that Gu Mo City now belonged to the Underworld Office, and as the Emissary of Death for Gu Mo City, how could Yao Guozhi not be delighted?
Without other factions, his efforts to develop the Gu Mo City Underworld Office would be considerably easier, and it would also reduce many threats. This was indeed a tremendous boon for Emissary of Death Yao Guozhi.
Meanwhile, the Gu Mo City Underworld Office also completed its handover within these two days. Lu Wu and Shui Ling handed over all the areas and positions they once managed to Yao Guozhi. Compared to Shui Ling and Lu Wu, Yao Guozhi was much busier, as he not only had to arrange personnel to take over the areas previously managed by Shui Ling and Lu Wu, but also to take over the Saint Mother Sect's territory. This left Yao Guozhi swamped, even leading to a shortage of manpower.
Yao Guozhi was also a decisive individual. To solve the manpower shortage, he did not ask Yang Haoran for help. Instead, he temporarily selected several individuals from among the many followers, personally planted the Death God Seal on them, making them Night Watchers, and assigned them to take over some less important but necessary positions.
For Yao Guozhi, this approach was out of necessity. If it weren't for the urgent need for personnel, he wouldn't have easily planted the Death God Seal on a few individuals, making them Night Watchers, let alone entrusting them with certain positions.
However, for these fortunate followers who had the chance to become Night Watchers, their hearts were filled with immense joy. They understood clearly that this was their opportunity; without it, they wouldn't know when they would ever become Night Watchers. According to normal procedures, to transform from an ordinary follower into a Night Watcher required a rigorous selection process and passing numerous tests, and this was only if Night Watchers were needed. If the number of night Watchers was already saturated and more were not temporarily required, they wouldn't even have the qualifications to participate in the selection.
This time, although they were hand-picked by Yao Guozhi, they didn't have to undergo the arduous tests of the normal process. Moreover, upon becoming Night Watchers, they immediately received duties and areas of responsibility. For them, this was truly a windfall, a blessing from the heavens. While they were incredibly happy, they also cherished this good fortune immensely, and thus they worked exceptionally hard, practically eager to exhaust themselves on the job.
Yao Guozhi had not opened his Heaven Soul too long ago, and his strength was still limited. Therefore, he was unable to plant too many Death God Seals in a short period. Each Death God Seal planted represented a considerable drain on him. Planting several Death God Seals in a short time, transforming several ordinary followers into Night Watchers, was already his limit. If he disregarded his own body and forcibly planted more Death God Seals, it would only cause him harm, and in severe cases, it could even cost him his life.
It was precisely because his strength wouldn't allow it that Yao Guozhi didn't turn more ordinary followers into Night Watchers. Otherwise, given the current situation, he would certainly have done so.
Yang Haoran was unaware of the problems Yao Guozhi encountered, nor did Yao Guozhi seek Yang Haoran's help. However, even if Yang Haoran had known about these issues, he wouldn't have actively intervened, because if Yao Guozhi couldn't handle such minor problems, it would be too disappointing.
Moreover, based on his understanding of Yao Guozhi's capabilities, Yao Guozhi could definitely handle these minor issues with ease; there was no need for him to worry.
The day after the Saint Mother Sect withdrew from Gu Mo City, Yang Haoran also left Gu Mo City, taking his trusted aides and two small teams of Night Watchers with him, leaving behind only a large number of followers and Yao Guozhi with his Night Watchers.
Upon his departure, Yao Guozhi, as the Emissary of Death for Gu Mo City, led all his Night Watchers in a farewell procession. The last words Yang Haoran left for Yao Guozhi before leaving were a mere three words: "Work hard."
As for how to "work hard," that was up to Yao Guozhi to interpret and execute. Given Yang Haoran's personality, he would most likely not interfere in this process; he would only observe the final outcome.
Of course, if Yao Guozhi encountered major trouble beyond his capabilities, Yang Haoran, as his Guardian, would undoubtedly step in to support his subordinate; there was no question about that.
Yang Haoran's departure signified the beginning of a new chapter for Gu Mo City—a chapter belonging to Yao Guozhi. As for Yang Haoran's actions in Gu Mo City, whether they were grand or mundane, they had all become the past, merely history.
Similarly, Yang Haoran's departure from Gu Mo City also marked the beginning of a new chapter for himself—a chapter unique to Yang Haoran, a new chapter on his path to becoming a god.
Early this morning, Old Master Wu, the Emissary of Death for the Lecheng Underworld Office, suddenly summoned all his Night Watchers. After a brief meeting, he led his Night Watchers to line up neatly before the God Statue at the South Lake Death God Temple.
In addition to the Lecheng Underworld Office personnel, some individuals not affiliated with the Underworld Office also arrived at the South Lake Death God Temple, lining up just as neatly. Among them were people from the Lecheng Administrative Courtyard, Demon Hunters, and even demons.
Although the Lecheng Underworld Office did not make a big fuss about this matter, Lecheng was unlike Gu Mo City, which had only one dominant force. Besides the Underworld Office, there were other factions present in Lecheng, and they had always secretly kept an eye on every move of the Lecheng Underworld Office. Therefore, Old Master Wu's summoning of all his Night Watchers to the South Lake Death God Temple today, and having them line up neatly below the Death God Statue, naturally could not escape the notice of these other factions. Furthermore, these factions were aware that, in addition to the Lecheng Underworld Office personnel, there were also people from the Lecheng Administrative Courtyard at the South Lake Death God Temple.
Ever since Zhu Rong became the Administrative Chief of the Lecheng Administrative Courtyard, the Lecheng Administrative Courtyard and the Lecheng Underworld Office had grown very close, their relationship quite intimate. This was no secret in Lecheng.
However, why the Lecheng Administrative Courtyard personnel had come to the South Lake Death God Temple, and why Old Master Wu had arranged for his Night Watchers to line up below the Death God Statue, remained a secret to the other factions in Lecheng.
Although they didn't know what Old Master Wu was planning, the major factions still analyzed the current situation and made educated guesses. They believed that Old Master Wu gathering all his Night Watchers at the South Lake Death God Temple surely meant a major operation was underway, and as the Underworld Office's closest partner, the Administrative Courtyard's presence at the South Lake Death God Temple was certainly to assist the Underworld Office. While not all factions guessed this, the vast majority of their conjectures pointed in this direction.
Of course, this was merely a guess, and these factions couldn't be certain whether it was true. However, they didn't relax their vigilance simply because they weren't certain. On the contrary, they secretly kept a constant watch on every move of the Lecheng Underworld Office, ready to react promptly to any sudden developments.
Not to mention that the other factions didn't know what Old Master Wu intended to do, even his own Night Watchers were just as clueless.
But there was one difference between them and the other factions: while the other factions were worried and wary, the Night Watchers merely felt puzzled.
As time ticked by, the Night Watchers' bewilderment grew stronger, because Old Master Wu simply had them stand respectfully below the Death God Statue, making no other arrangements. Thus, their confusion intensified with each passing moment.
Nevertheless, although these Night Watchers were very puzzled, none dared to inquire, nor did they dare to show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. Without exception, they all stood rigidly beneath the Death God Statue.
They stood there from morning until midnight. A crescent moon illuminated the night sky, casting a faint, chilling glow upon the deep darkness. Below the Death God Statue, the Night Watchers remained motionless, like lifeless sculptures.
If it were ordinary people, standing so still from morning until midnight, they would have probably fainted from exhaustion long ago. However, these Night Watchers were not ordinary people; their physical constitutions were far superior to that of common folk, so not only did they not faint, but each of them was also quite energetic.
The major factions, who had been continuously observing the Lecheng Underworld Office's movements, besides feeling concern and vigilance, also harbored intense confusion. They truly couldn't fathom what trick Old Master Wu was trying to pull today.
Some factions believed that Old Master Wu was definitely planning a big move, and the reason for waiting until midnight was that Yin Qi was strongest then, which could boost the power of ghosts and also increase the strength of the Underworld Office personnel.
But other factions disagreed. They thought that if Old Master Wu had any major operation planned, he wouldn't have had his Night Watchers line up in the Death God Temple so early in the morning, because doing so clearly signaled to other factions that the Lecheng Underworld Office was about to make a big move, which offered no benefit to the Lecheng Underworld Office.
Just as many people were generating different theories about the matter, the space above the South Lake Death God Temple suddenly fluctuated violently. Then, a massive spatial rift appeared, and figures emerged from within it. The leading figure was none other than Yang Haoran, who had just left Gu Mo City.
Behind Yang Haoran were his trusted aides whom he had trained in Gu Mo City, as well as the Night Watchers under Lu Wu and Shui Ling.
When the space above the South Lake Death God Temple violently fluctuated, it immediately drew the gaze of everyone below. Some people, upon seeing this, instantly wore expressions of excitement. This group was small, but their reactions clearly showed they seemed to know what was about to happen.
Apart from this group, the vast majority of people, faced with this situation, universally became wary, as they didn't know whether the newcomers were friends or foes, so they dared not be careless in the slightest.
When the spatial rift formed, not only were most of the people present startled, but even the other factions, who had been secretly observing every move of the Lecheng Underworld Office, were equally shocked. This was because the spatial rift was simply too enormous; from any corner of Lecheng city, one could see this massive rift. For a spatial rift to reach such a scale was beyond ordinary strength, and this alone was enough to stun everyone.
However, when they clearly saw that the leading figure within the spatial rift was Yang Haoran, the hearts of the Lecheng Underworld Office Night Watchers immediately surged with excitement. Conversely, the other factions secretly observing the Lecheng Underworld Office had the exact opposite reaction. There was no excitement, only shock and an even stronger sense of foreboding than before.
The matter of Yang Haoran becoming a Guardian was no longer a secret in Lecheng; not only did the Night Watchers know, but other factions were also aware of it.
The Night Watchers knew because Old Master Wu had announced this information. After all, it was an inspiring event, with no need for secrecy, and it wasn't a secret to begin with. Other factions knew because their high-ranking members had disclosed the information.
From the current situation, it seemed that all the Lecheng Underworld Office personnel lining up below the Death God Statue today was not to carry out some important mission, but purely to welcome Yang Haoran's return—to welcome the former Emissary of Death for Lecheng, now the Guardian, Yang Haoran!
Before this, other factions were unaware that Yang Haoran would return to Lecheng. In their view, Lecheng was merely an impoverished, remote small city. After Yang Haoran became a Guardian, he would likely choose a city with more abundant resources as his base, hardly bothering with a resource-scarce small city like Lecheng. Therefore, when the Lecheng Underworld Office Night Watchers lined up below the Death God Statue today, they almost all assumed Old Master Wu was planning some major operation, not that Yang Haoran was returning.
Not only were other factions unaware that Yang Haoran would return to Lecheng, but even the Night Watchers of the Lecheng Underworld Office themselves were ignorant of it. Their thoughts were similar to those of the major factions; they all believed that after Yang Haoran became a Guardian, he probably wouldn't return to this remote, impoverished small city of Lecheng. So, when they lined up and waited below the Death God Statue earlier, most of them didn't connect the matter to Yang Haoran, assuming Old Master Wu was arranging some important task for them.
Few people knew that Yang Haoran would return to Lecheng today; only Yang Haoran's trusted confidants in Lecheng were aware, which naturally included Old Master Wu, the current Emissary of Death for Lecheng. Because Yang Haoran had specifically instructed them, the news of his return to Lecheng today had not been publicized.
Old Master Wu had arranged for his Night Watchers to line up below the Death God Statue at the South Lake Death God Temple early this morning precisely to welcome Yang Haoran's return. However, he didn't know the exact time of Yang Haoran's return to Lecheng, so to ensure he didn't miss this significant event, he had summoned all his Night Watchers to line up below the statue first thing in the morning.
As one of Yang Haoran's trusted confidantes in Lecheng, Zhu Rong naturally knew that Yang Haoran would return from Gu Mo City today. So, she set aside all her duties, big or small, and personally came to the South Lake Death God Temple to wait. However, constrained by the views of other factions and to avoid impacting future work, she didn't dare to grandiosly bring all the Administrative Courtyard personnel to line up at the Death God Temple.
"Boss!"
Below the Death God Statue, Old Master Wu smiled and respectfully saluted Yang Haoran above.
With his lead, the other Night Watchers present also snapped out of their excitement and bowed to Yang Haoran above.
"Greetings, Divine Emissary! ! !"
Their voices were loud and clear, reverberating throughout Lecheng.
Within the spatial rift, Yang Haoran wore a faint smile as he observed the bowing crowd below, appearing quite serene. However, the people behind him were not as composed. A few trusted confidantes were relatively calm; although excited internally, they didn't show it too overtly. Conversely, the other Night Watchers clearly displayed their excitement, each standing tall, their hearts brimming with pride.
Compared to when Yang Haoran first left Lecheng, the number of Night Watchers in the Lecheng Underworld Office had significantly increased. These Night Watchers had clearly been promoted after Old Master Wu became the Emissary of Death. Although these newcomers hadn't been with the Lecheng Underworld Office for long and had never met Yang Haoran in person, they all recognized him, and their reverence for Yang Haoran was no less than that of the more experienced Night Watchers.
"Haha, I apologize. I was delayed a bit on the way, so I returned a little late. I hope you don't mind."
Yang Haoran said with polite laughter. His words were not just for Old Master Wu and the others, but for everyone present who had been waiting for his return.
As his voice faded, Yang Haoran led the group out of the spatial rift, stepping once again onto the land that had given him birth and raised him.
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